The Sunfury Dynasty
by Ani Okabe
Summary: Court intrigue and plotting has reached it's fever pitch in Silvermoon, out with the old and in with the new or so they say. However the question remains will they succeed with raising a new Queen to the throne or will they fail? Early BC-wrath
1. Old Friends

The two blood elves clamored over papers in a small room in the Wayfarer's rest. They had been there for a few nights. It had been a time since Lor'thmar had taken up the title of reagent lord, and it did not seem as though he would be relinquishing it any time soon. This was starting to cause a dispute amongst the higher nobles in court. It was during this clamoring over papers searching for what they needed that she walked in.

The woman was tiny even for that of a blood elf, her small body wrapped in a black cloak, the hood hiding her face from sight save her full painted red lips and stubborn small golden chin. Behind her stood a tall white blonde blood elf robed in all white, his eyes were pale blue and even amongst Blood elves he would have been considered most handsome, and his skin was white pale as a cask of cream. He looked as if to be the light embodied as he stood behind this small woman robed in black leaning on his crystal tipped stave.

The two clamoring elves stopped and bowed deeply to the woman.

"My lady! We were just looking for the papers for you to sign," one of the men said smoothing his dark brown hair. He stood quickly and pulled out a chair, "Sit my Lady, I know you must be tired from your journeys. There was talk that you had gone back to Lordearon and had a meeting with Sylvannas,"

Those full lips curled into a smile as the woman took a seat in the chair and folded her hands in her lap. She looked as a sinister doll as she sat clad in all black in the red and gold room. The other man grabbed a paper out of the stack and put it on the table in front of the woman.

"This was a document drawn up by the Silver Circle, signed by all members," he gestured at the end of the document. The eight signatures stood out signed in gold ink that glittered in the dull light of the room the lady's smile broadened a bit as she traced one of the names,

"My father signed it," she spoke in a voice as soft and as sweet as any.

"Yes, both your father and your Uncle signed it, this document… it speaks to a revised line of secession, a line that would rule out Elind completely,"

She swallowed and her eyes raced over the document as she read the names in the succession. She laughed a bit and drew back her hood revealing her long raven hair and keen eyes which currently glowed with red fire speaking to her demonic taint, after a moment the red faded to the normal fel green.

"Mother said once when I was young that if things had been differently I would have been Queen," she smiled, "Then Kael'Thas turned me down and accepted the betrothal to my sister Alastrya, " she placed a long slender finger on the paper where her sister's name was mentioned, " Alas, my sister perished in the attack on Silvermoon, and she was not able to wed the Prince before his…Betrayal," She followed the document with her finger, "It lists any issue of theirs and then… me," her lips curl into a smile, "Ah, and my dearest cousin who is alas, also dead," she smiles and shakes her head, "This document is a very important one," she looked up at the man and nodded, "Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention, though I do not see its validity since it makes reference to the joyous union between my sister and the Prince,"

"That is the thing, My Lady, it was signed by the council, this document is law, it is signed and dated by council, we are living during what should be the start of the great Sunfury Dynasty," He smiled at her and folded the document away, "So there it is, you should be Queen, all of your followers are right,"

"Have you told any one of this?" she inquired as she let her bright fel eyes survey the two men,

"No, M'lady not a soul," the other man spoke,

"I sent for you as soon as I found it whilst going through the archives," the brown haired elf spoke softly, "I sent word to Kythyr to give word to you,"

The pale blonde elf leaned against the door, "He speaks the truth, Aluithian,"

"While I was in the company of Queen Sylvannas she mentioned the true succession of Silvermoon, I assumed she wanted to speak to me because from time to time my followers can be a bit loud and disruptive and she has asked me to reprimand them from time to time, but she spoke at length about my cause," she sat up a bit straighter, "The Queen usually ignores my delicate issue, but she spoke at length about it, she posed… hypotheticals," she smiled a bit and stood, smoothing her dress and cloak, "Tell no one I have returned,"

"But… my Lady, those who stayed within these walls believe you dead," The brown haired elf whispered,

"Well they shall know eventually, Alindril," She smiled and pulled her head back over her features, "But for now, I beg for silence for there are those I have to see before I am pulled in a million directions,"

"Do not go see him, he served under Kael, he is a farstrider, he…" Alindril looked to Kythyr,

"He married the Lady Dawnfire," Kythyr finished smoothing his long pale blonde hair, Aluithian turned and looked to Kythyr,

"When… how…" she closed her eyes for a moment and pursed her pretty full lips, "To…" she trailed off, "He is a dear friend, I wish to congratulate him on his marriage and…" she trailed off again, "to consult him on several matters which came to my attention during my travels," she swallowed and drew a deep breath, though her heart ached.

She walked fast counting her steps, with so many thoughts passing through her mind as she quickly made her way to the tallest trees by the shore. She could have ridden her horse but the felsteed would give away who she was; and she needed to collect her thoughts. She knew where he would be because he was always there. And the constant thud of the arrow hitting the tree which could be heard from quite a distance gave away that he was indeed there.

The small elven woman stood on the swell of a large hill overlooking the shore watching him for a moment, the way his muscles moved under his skin on his arms as he pulled back the string on the bow before loosing it. Beside him, as always, was his constant companion, the large black lion with its keen green eyes, which she could feel on her even from such a distance. It warmed her heart to see him she had missed him so much. And watching him from the hill just made it all the sadder that he was now married, now when those who stood between them were no more.

As she descended the hill the lion rose it's head and stood protectively beside it's master.

"Hail, Mi'lady," he spoke in his calm tenor as he walked over to the tree and started removing the arrows, his near waist length deep brown hair was swept in a loose ponytail and swung over his shoulder it glistened in the noonday sun. She stood in silent vigil a bit away from him. "Is there something I can help you with?"

She drew a ragged breath and walked closer, his hand went to the dagger at his hip, he was ever watchful he had been to war he knew that even the daintiest of women could pose a great threat.

Aluithian slowly lowered her hood and swallowed hard, his breath caught and his cool demeanor faltered for the first time since she had met him.

"No," he breathed taking a few steps closer, "You are dead... they said not a single one of your house survived," he looked like he had seen a ghost, "Surely this is some trick some enchantress poking fun at me,"

She shook her head softly and he quickly closed the distance between them and held her close,

"Light be praised," he whispered over and over again breathing in the scent of his long lost friend. And during that embrace his heart ached as hers did, he buried his face in her hair and she on his chest enjoying the damp against her cheek, the scent of him. "We thought you dead, oh how I have missed you so," he groaned into her ear.

After a moment she pulled away from him, though he would have gladly held her for eternity. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked at the ocean,

"I hear you are married," she whispered as she stepped passed him, he frowned,

"Aye, a year since passed in a fortnight," he spoke softly as he followed her to the water's edge removing his mail hauberk from a nearby stump.

"Do…" she trailed off,

"You were gone a year, and she was…" it was his turn to trail off,

"There?" their eyes met as she said it and he shook his head,

"I feared you dead, she asked me, she asked for my hand within mere weeks of the rumor that you died with the rest of your family," he put his hands on her small shoulders, "I told her no, I held out hope for year after year Alu, I held on to the notion that you were still alive and that you would come back as you have done, though after the second year I had resigned myself to your death," he leaned his head against hers, "My dear sweet sweet Aluithian of whom I am ever so glad to see alive,"

She let herself cry, the tears spilled down her cheeks,

"Why her? Why of all of the women… why her?" she turned and looked at him, "she is a loyalist who tried to have me arrested,"

"She went above my head, she spoke to my captain who made such a fuss that a woman from such a noble family would have interest in me, she made it so I couldn't say no,"

"You could have said no,"

"And you could have written, you could have given me some bloody sign that you weren't dead," he snapped at her for the first time ever, "some vague hope that I wasn't in love with a ghost,"

"Do you love her too?" she asked playing with the ends of her hair looking up into his deep sapphire eyes,

"Never, my heart is and always has been yours,"

"Do you have children?"

"I have not shared her bed since the wedding night, and if I can avoid it I never shall again,"

"Did you not like it?"

"She is not you," was all he could say, "No long mane of hair so dark the nights sky is jealous, no smooth golden skin," he wrapped his arms around her, "and she is far too tall, I have always been partial to the frailer most feminine women." He rested his chin atop her head and sighed, "if I could take it all back, I would,"

She nodded slowly and pulled away,

"I know but… they were right I shouldn't have come here" she laughed a bit, "I am not sure what I expected, I hope business treats you well, Duskwhisper,"

"I am fighting in the arena at weeks end,"

"Well, I wish you the best of luck," she pulled her hood back over her features and started the walk back to the city crying, leaving him staring after her

The warlock made her way back to the city and walked into the house which had been secured for her. There was a small gathering in the entry way, Kythyr and a few others, she walked passed them and up the stairs to her chamber, she promptly closed the door and wailed.


	2. The Plot Thickens

The cries echoed through the house rendering the people who had gathered quiet. The tall pale blonde Kythyr's ears twitched while he looked around the guests, many of them guessed what had happened, a beautiful elf with fiery red hair and one clear green eye walked over to Kythyr, behind her walked a large Ghostlynx whose fur matched her hair perfectly,

"I take it she went to see him," the huntress spoke in a soft voice pursing her small cupids bow she smoothed hair back from her other eye, it was nothing but a closed mass of scar tissue marring a once perfect face.

"I tried to stop her Astyra, I told her before she went…" he spoke in his low voice not even making eye contact with the huntress, the scar on her eye unnerved him.

"He is her only sore point, if she can harden herself against him she will be an unstoppable force as Queen,"

"Maybe he'll do us all a favor and get killed in the arena," they both laughed,

"I doubt it, and besides I have lots of money riding on Duskwhisper this week," she smirked,

"Are you actually going to go?"

"To Nagrand arena? Most certainly, besides I have duties with my unit in Outlands, it'll give me something interesting to do, besides slaughter orges mindlessly and pick on the poor helpless Alliance that is,"

"You farstriders and your mindless killing," The priest near to whispered,

"Says the most hypocritical of all priests,"

"The light touches all in different ways," he smirks,

"and what of the shadow,"

"It too touches, now if you'll excuse me Astyra I have some business to attend to with matters of our Mistresses estat-" he stopped mid sentence and looked around, "Who is guarding over our lady today?"

"Lorent, "

"Well, then I trust he is lurking about here somewhere,"

"We of the Black Guard never shrink from our duties to the Dark Lady, though the same cannot be said for those who manage her estates, did they ever find that six thousand gold?" Astyra chided with a bit of a laugh pulling her hair back over her maimed eye.

"Darling Asty, bitchiness does not become you," The arrogant priest replied. The huntress snarled at the Priest and walked away slowly rolling her eyes.

Aluithian stared at the shadows in the corners of the room in a catatonic like state. She had finally stopped wailing and had calmed down. The room was lavishly decorated with the emblem of the Sunfury household, the golden rising Falcon with talons raised on a red background surround by a black border though they had changed it recently, now upon the head of the falcon was a crown and in the raised talons was the scepter of Kingship.

"What am I doing Lorent," she whispered as she stood and traced the pattern, "This endeavor has cost me dear already and I am still far from the throne, Kael'thas is off doing darkness knows what in Outlands, while our people are left depending on that-" Her eyes flashed red,

"_I know exactly what he's doing_," a deep voice boomed in her head, she rubbed her temples and watched as Lorent, the third of her Black Guard stepped out of the shadows, he wore all black, his face was almost always covered by this black hood, only his glowing red eyes showed in the darkness of it, she had given him Demon eyes. Once he had very pretty blue eyes and a very pretty wife. A noble had tried to persuade him to sleep with her, he declined, the next day his wife was murdered in front of him and then they cut out his eyes. He had asked Kael'thas for help, Kael'thas declined though Lorent had spent many years in service to the King as a spy, and one day Aluithian saw him begging on the street and she gave him his sight back using the eyes of a doomgaurd and then he pledged his allegiance to her.

"Dark Lady are you all right?" he stood at her side towering over her, as many did, the Sunfury line bred small females.

She smiled sweetly and nodded, "I shall be fine,"

"I too lamented at the wedding of Duskwhisper," his voice was rough it always sounded as though he swallowed a handful of gravel.

"Why is that? Everyone tells me he is a loyalist and I should avoid him like the plague," she laughed a bit, the sweet sound didn't seem to fit the small golden elf in her long black dress.

"Kithic is not a loyalist as other, he believes in Kael'thas because he served under him, and he was a capable leader at one point. However, he would defeat Illidan himself for you, and he is one of the finest farstriders I have ever met," he sat down on the bed crossed his arms over his chest, "Their real complaint is that he is not noble blood, whereas you can trace your lineage back to Dath'remar as well as Kael'thas can, so the purists feel that you should not taint that with the blood of a simple carpenter who's good with a bow,"

"Very insightful… and painfully truthful, though I suppose that does not matter now," she shook her head, "That has always been the problem, I brought him to meet my family once, I had recently met him and I thought he was so very interesting…my mother took me aside and gave me a lecture about staying away from common men,"

"Though he is Lord Duskwhisper now, if she were to die…" Lorent laughed,

"No, as much as I may think of it, I doubt he would come to me if he knew I had orchestrated her death,"

"My apologies, Dark Lady,"

"No need, if I wasn't certain he'd…" she shook her head, "I am simply going to stay away from him is all,"

"And if he comes to the Masque? She is coming, somehow she received an invitation through a mistake,"

"I shall still avoid him, it hurts,"

"Do not feel it is your fault, It has been six years since the death of my beloved, and I have not taken a lover nor accepted any proposals, his hand was not as forced as he would have you believe and he knows this,"

She swallowed and sighed a ragged sigh.

"Can you send my ladies up? I suppose I should start getting ready for the Masque," she near to whispered as she stood and made her way over to the wardrobe on the far side of the room. She threw the doors open to reveal numerous dresses, a lot could be said for Aluithian Sunfury, but never could one say she did not dress well, though regularly she would stick to a simple black dress. On occasions more formal she was very good at out dressing people with the latest fashions which accentuated her dramatic figure the full bust, long thin waist and her ample hips.

Lorent nodded and left her to stare at the dresses fingering the delicate runecloth sleeves or a shadowsilk hem. Within minutes her ladies came through the door the modestly dressed noble women who believed in her cause had been treating her as a Queen when she was within the walls of Silvermoon for years. Amongst the taller, pale haired ladies with their peachy skin Aluithian stood out like something dark and exotic, which she was. Sunfury was one of the only noble houses which seemed to have predominately dark hair and the golden hue to their skin.

"I grieved when I heard of Lord Duskwhisper's marriage," a tall blonde lady spoke, her skin was so ruddy it was near pink, her eyes glowed the faintest blue green hinting at her fel addiction. It took Aluithian a moment to remember the woman's name, "You could do much better though, perhaps even Elind,"

The woman was in fact her cousin, Elthiea Brightdawn, of her mother's house.

"No, I will not allow myself to be wed to Elind," Aluithian spoke evenly as she stepped away from the wardrobe, "As he is no longer part of the succession it would be pointless, I too am a direct descendant of Dath'remar, or have you forgotten?" she smiled a bit and picked up her mask for the evening. It was a true artist's work edged with black, red and gold feathers and affixed with Kings Amber, the darkest Dreadstone and Cardinal Rubies. The features of the mask were near that of her own, the full lips on the mask wearing her ever present half smile. "Nonesthematter Elthiea, many feel I should take that same path," she held the mask to her face and giggled a bit, "I think today I shall wear the gold dress, yes? What do you think ladies?"

Someone in the back said the typical and expected "You'd look lovely in the gold My lady," and the ordeal of dressing her began. The corset, the full skirt, the laced bodice all the trappings of a fashionable woman at a masque; and she wore them well, even the small delicate golden crown which was placed a top of her oh so black hair. She looked every bit a Queen as they placed the mask over her face and tied the gold ribbon in place. Her hair was then carefully arranged and they placed more Jewelry on her.

After they tied the deep dreadstone choker about her neck she stood and slowly made her way down the stairs; her ladies following behind her. Musicians were just sitting down to play as she descended the steps. Some people were gathered and even with their masks she knew who they were. They all turned to look at her as her slippered feet touched the stone floor. Lorent followed behind her dressed in the formal garb of the black guard oiled black leather from head to toe with his hood obscuring his face the other members of the guard milled about in near to the same, with the exception of Elestina, the red haired paladin was clad from head to toe in black tempered armor the crest of the Blood Knights at the tops of the leg plates, there were gaps in the armor enough to show she wore little to nothing underneath. She was busy talking up Magister Rommath who had a habit of showing up to gatherings in support of Sunfury claim, though once fiercely loyal to Kael'thas something had changed.

Aluithian paid little attention to those who watched her as she made her way across the large and open main hall to the raised golden thrown which had been erected for her. As she took her seat at the throne and nodded to the musicians they started to play and Lorent took his place behind the throne.

More people filtered in and some started dancing. It was a flurry of skirts and masks with many glancing to the woman sitting atop the throne. It had been years since such an event had taken place at court, and it was a very bold move on Aluithian's behalf. The masque was a clear call to the people, a call that said look at me I care about the pursuit of pleasure as much as matters of state.

And everything was going so averagely; until he showed up...with her. A murmur broke up with spread through the room. It started at the back furthest from the throne and raced back until it reached her ears, and then he stepped through the door dressed in all earthen tones with a simple cream colored mask obscuring his eyes with wild spotted feathers on it, on his arm was his wife. She was tall, blonde and lovely everything a noble woman should be, should be, she was dressed in all white and silver.

Aluithian clenched her jaw so hard her teeth were in danger of cracking as they made their way through the crowd to kneel and curtsy before her.

"Thank you so much for your gracious invitation Lady Sunfury," Lady Dawnfire spoke as she stood, her husband followed.

"We tried our best to make certain all of the noble houses were invited," Aluithian stated calmly in a sweet even voice.

"I had not expected it; we did think that perhaps news of our blissful marriage had incurred your displeasure, though we still mourned your passing,"

Aluithian smiled and sat up straighter, "Mourned my passing? Though I have no doubt Kithic mourned my passing I am quite certain that you Lady Geldria were quite pleased by the possibility, seeing as at our last encounter you tried your hardest to slander my good name," She narrowed her eyes at the woman before turning her eyes to Kithic, her face softened beneath the mask as their eyes met; she calmed and turned her attention back to Geldria. "Though that is in the past, I do hope I have both you and your husband's support,"

"It is a good thing to see life back at Court," the blonde woman curtsied again and walked off towards a gathering of women off to the side.

Kithic stayed at the foot of the pedestal the throne was set upon with a small sad smile on his tiny cupids bow.

"You look lovely tonight, Aluithian," he spoke softly , meeting her eyes,

"Why thank you Mister Duskwhisper, or is it Lord now?"

"It is Lord," he bowed his head a bit, "When we wed Lor'themar gifted me the title,"

"Light forbid a Dawnfire give up their title,"

"Now Alu, that isn't very becoming of a future Queen," he smirked and almost instantly the smirk fell "Is it to always be like this now?"

She looked away and let her silence be the answer. He bowed again,

"So be it, I shall wait until your anger fades, good night Lady Sunfury," he spoke softly before he turned and walked from the throne, to go stand over by his wife; and she watched as they kissed. She watched him for the rest of the night. Even as she received other Courtiers expressing their interested in giving support, she watched him. She watched him and longed to be Geldria.

Towards the end of the evening when the crowd had thinned and the stationed members of the Black Guard standing about looked as though they were ready to fall over from boredom the room seemed to go quiet for a moment; as all rooms do before something terrible happens.

Aluithian stood and looked around as the crowd renewed its chatter and the music picked up again. She narrowed her eyes and scanned the crowd.

"My Lady what is it?" Lorent asked as he took a step forward.

She ignored him and kept scanning the crowd, something was wrong and she could feel it.

"_His is at the back, there will be an arrow,"_ the dark voice boomed in her head "_If I were you I would move_," Her eyes went to the far corner and there was indeed someone where huddled and hiding. And she watched as he knocked the arrow, she raised her hand and the crowd fell silent, the man loosed the arrow and she opened her hand. There was a pulse of energy that knocked one arrow to the ground, as well as the people nearest her. The second arrow however pierced her shoulder, she clenched her jaw against the pain and summoned a felguard as fast as she could.

A small tear in started in the fabric between Azeroth and the nether. The glittering black slash slowly widened until it was as large as a doorway, giving all who carried to peak a glimpse into the nether. As the towering red demon stepped forth from the nether he knelt before her,

"Command me my mistress," it boomed, she looked directly at the man at the back who had just then turned to run.

"Kill him and bring the other to me," she whispered before she collapsed back, against the throne. Lorent knelt beside her, as the room went into panic,

"Call a healer!" he yelled as he examined the wound. Her vision blurred for a moment and her body went limp for just a moment, long enough for her to fall from the throne. The mask slipped from her face and shattered before she hit the ground. "It was poisoned! Call a healer!" Lorent bellowed as many of the Black Guard formed a circle around their Lady with weapons drawn.

Kythyr walked through the crowd with a woman clad in all white, she had a white hood drawn over her features the only thing visible of her body was her near to pure white hair with the slightest hint of blonde. She was allowed to part the circle of the guard with ease and upon seeing Aluithian on the ground she cried out softly and dropped to her knees beside her. Kythyr dropped a white bag on the ground beside the woman and turned on his heels and left quickly.

The woman held her hand over Aluithian's heart and frowned dusting the flakes of glass off of the side of her cheek. She looked at the arrow for a moment before removing a small knife from the bag. She cut away the golden cloth from the arrow exposing the wound, the small golden elf's body had already broken out into a cold sweat. The priestess smelled the blood around the wound and shook her head,

"We need to move her," she stood and looked around, "We need to get the arrow out and I need..." she trailed off for a moment before pulling back her hood to reveal a purely cherubic face she was a chosen of the church of the light, her skin near to as white as her dress, the blood on her hands was a stark contrast, even her eyes seemed to glow white with only the slightest hint of blue. "Black lotus, fel lotus… mana thistle, ghost mushroom and nightmare vine," She took off her bloodied white gloves, "Only a little nightmare vine, that was the base of the poison,"

"Will she be okay?" Lorent asked as he knelt over Aluithian's unconscious body,

"Time will tell but we need to move her now,"

And with that the Guard lifted their Lady's body above their heads and carried her through the hall and up the stairs looking very much the funeral procession.

"Light save and protect her," the priestess whispered as she followed the procession up the stairs and into the Lady's chamber.


	3. A Hunt and Terrible Truths

Kithic ran through the streets as fast as he could to get to his shop with his wife following him all the while. He threw off the clothes he wore to the Masque and quickly pulled on his mail armor. After pulling his bow and quiver from their neat box under his bed he ran down the stairs and out into the street followed by Geldria who was yelling after him.

"Where do you think you're going?" she screamed as he walked around the back of the shop to where his large black lion was sleeping, "Are you actually going after the assassin's they were trying to do us a favor you know," and that made him pause, he turned and looked at his wife with narrowed eyes with nothing but ill intent behind them. She instantly fell silent and took a few steps back,

"If I find out you had even the slightest in this dealing… I swear," he shook his head and pursed his lips before patting the Lion on the head to wake it.

"You swear what?" she narrowed her eyes back at him, the Lion growled at her and stood before stretching.

"I swear you will die an equally painful death," his voice was even as he said it, and afterwards he walked away like he had said nothing of importance at all.

Though he was an excellent tracker, it was hard to track people in cities and it got harder the busier the city was. So in a city like Silvermoon, on a balmy spring evening the city was alive and a light even at the first twinklings of dawn. Though he knew many things that would help him out, it was still a daunting task. But he knew they couldn't be in Murder Row, the warlocks of The Sanctum would never allow the harboring of someone who tried to murder their star. Though he picked up a bit of their trail here and there, oddities like the scent of Nightmare vine poison strengthened with Maiden's anguish; a scent he smelled just before Aluithian had collapsed.

And as he neared the huge barrier between the dead scar and the rest of the city he saw a familiar face that let him know he was on the right track.

"He's up there," Astyra whispered without even looking at him.

"Are you sure?" he inquired,

"Positive, it's why you're here isn't it? You smelled it too, anyone who can track worth their weight in kodo dung could have smelled it," she shook her head, "Though, I cannot figure out how,"

"You didn't see him?"

"I was chasing the other which our Dark Lady's Felguard made short work of,"

"She is not my Dark Lady,"

"Then why are you here?" she snapped as she scanned the wall,

"Because she is my Alu, and very dear to me,"

"And yet you will not support her cause, nor do you have the common decency to stay away,"

"I do not support her cause but I support her… and why should I stay away?"

"You do more harm than good, go away, go away never come back and let her forget you,"

"And if I don't want to?"

"Then you are a fool, why torture yourself with something you can never have?"

"She is the golden sun, and if I had known she still drew breath I would have never married that harpy, commander be damned,"

"And you'd have married her? Do you really think we would have let you a carpenter, an arena combatant favorite wed our sovereign?" she laughed and ran her fingers through her red hair,

"I doubt you could have kept us apart,"

"You do not know your beloved _Alu_ as well as you think, she would give you up if you would hurt her case for th-" she grinned, "And there it is" she darted forward and jumped up some barrels that were leaning against the white walls, she then jumped on a canopy and climbed up a window and then onto the roof. He followed behind and the Cats her Lynx and his Lion were behind him.

When they were both standing on the roof what they found on the other side surprised them. The man in the dark cloak was simply waiting there; as though he though the large wall would have really stopped all comers.

"Now either he is very stupid or he knows something we do not," she whispered as she crouched down, he knelt beside her.

"He has no reason to think we would ever catch on to him up here," he shrugged,

"This is going to be a bit difficult we need him aliv-," she stopped mid sentence as a group of warlocks robed in black slowly filtered in from the barricaded door and surrounded the man with demons a plenty glaring down on him. "Or not, looks like the sanctum moved faster than we did," she laughed and he nodded slowly,

"Am I permitted to see her?" he asked as he swallowed some and looked over the one eyed huntress,

"I will permit you to see her, I am not heartless after all, but do give some thought to what I've said," she spoke softly as she waved to one of the warlocks below, she laughed a bit and pulled a bundle of letters from her pocket, "Oh, and these are for you," he took the letters but knew who they were from before he even glanced down at the pretty writing, it made his heart hurt, and yet all he did was nod to her and walk away.

There were numerous letters in the bundle, all from Aluithian, he read a few as he walked through the street. She had tried to tell him where she had gone and why; she had needed further training. The letters spoke of her loneliness, of her meetings with Sylvannas or her longing for him. He tucked the letters into his quiver as he neared the Palace.

The sun was well above the horizon now and the city had finally grown quiet. But the Palace was busy. There were nobles everywhere, some were in the foyer looking depressed, others were in the hall looking apathetic with red rings about their eyes, Kythyr was in the main hall leading prayers for Aluithian. It seemed as though no one had left since she had passed out; and the black guard was a looming presence everywhere, it seemed as though in the few hours their numbers had increased near to tenfold, you couldn't turn your head without seeing a black clad man or woman with a weapon.

Outside of the door to her room were four guards barring the doors with their bodies. He sighed deeply and looked them over,

"How is she?" he asked softly one of the guard shook their head.

"She is still unconscious, the priestess is still tending to her wounds," one of the male guards spoke in a slow deep voice he could almost place the voice,

"Astyra said I would be allowed to go to her,"

The guards looked at one another and then parted, they wouldn't have for anyone else but he was a well known friend of their Dark Lady.

Inside the lavishly decorated chamber reeked of Mana thistle, he covered his mouth and nose at the stench as he looked at the bed where Aluithian laid motionless. Beside her was a priestess busy mixings herbs with a mortar and pestle, behind the priestess stood Lorent.

"Are they dead?" Lorent asked as he glanced at the slightly taller man,

"One is, the other is in the custody of The Sanctum," Kithic spoke softly as he knelt beside the bed and took one of Aluithian's small hands, it was so cold, he tried in vain to warm it between his, "Why did you keep her letters from me?" he asked without taking his gaze from his friends still face,

"Most of her claim relies on her blood, She is a Sunfury, but not only is she a Sunfury, she is also a Brightdawn, two lines with direct ties to Dath'remar on both sides, She is the only other person at court with such a tie, the Dynasty of Sunstrider is over, it is time for the Dynasty of Sunfury and that cannot happen if she weds a carpenter; they may all say she would give up everything even you, but I know better, I heard how she cried this afternoon,"

"And my marriage, was that more political maneuvering on your parts?"

"No Geldria's asking was all her own, we simply mentioned it to the your commanding officer, after all with her family backing you , you now have a chance at being Ranger General some day,"

"I do not want to be Ranger General, the only thing I have ever wanted truly is in this bed dying,"

"Then would you two please be quiet so I may work," The priestess snapped before turning back to Aluithian's unconscious body. Kithic grew silent and Lorent scoffed.


End file.
